Help could be on the way for homeowners and businesses affected by a propane gas shortage that prompted Gov. Pat Quinn to issue a disaster proclamation Monday.

In a joint statement Tuesday, state Sens. Sam McCann, R-Carlinville, and Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, announced new legislation that would increase assistance to low-income homeowners who heat their homes with propane; establish a low-interest loan program to help small businesses, farmers and propane distributors continue to buy propane amid still-rising prices; and temporarily lift weight restrictions on Illinois interstates for propane carriers so they can bring more propane into the state.

Sen. Bill Haine, D-Alton, also is co-sponsoring the bill, SB2757.

McCann said that people paying $1.50 per gallon for propane last summer are now paying more than $5 per gallon in some cases.

“This left many residents of our state unsure of how they would find or afford gas to heat their homes in sub-zero temperatures,” he said.

To help low-income families during the crisis, the legislation calls for an increase in funding of $10 million to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program between the period of December 2013 and March 2014.

LIHEAP rules say that families are eligible for assistance if they make $34,000 or less each year. The legislation proposes a temporary bump in that threshold to $44,000 to make more families eligible for assistance.

The bill also proposes making available $20 million for a short-term loan program through the Illinois Finance Authority so that farmers, business owners and propane distributors are able to continue buying gas. Before the crisis, distributors had pre-arranged contracts with suppliers, but thanks to the rising demand, many suppliers now want payment up front in cash.

McCann said he didn’t know yet where the money to pay for the measures will come from.

“That’s a conversation that my colleagues and I and the governor’s office will be having,” he said.

McCann described the shortage as a “perfect storm,” saying the combination of farmers using exponentially more gas in fall grain drying than they thought they would and an early, harsh winter drove a huge, nationwide demand for propane that now outpaces the country’s capacity to produce it.

In addition to giving assistance to people who depend on propane, the legislation calls for the temporary lifting of the current 80,000-pound weight limit for propane carriers traveling on Illinois interstates. Righter said raising the weight limit to 100,000 pounds would be an immediate help to those affected by the crisis as more propane is hauled into Illinois.

“This legislation has several points, all of which touch trouble spots where we’re facing problems,” he said.

Asked whether he thought the legislation would be acted on in time to do any good, McCann said “that’s why we’re here today.”

Page 2 of 2 - “We’re here to get this out there, to move it forward so that it can help families,” he said. “This is something we need to do today. It is a crisis, and our job as government is to respond to it. This is an appropriate response.”

In an additional measure, the governor announced Tuesday that the tax imposed on out-of-state trucks using Illinois’ interstates has been temporarily lifted if they’re delivering heating fuels to the state.

Rep. Raymond Poe, R-Springfield, also called for a temporary suspension of the state sales tax on propane and urged the federal government to curtail propane exports while creating a strategic reserve of the fuel for use in times of short supply.

After hearing from concerned constituents, McCann said he delivered a letter to Quinn last Friday asking him to declare a disaster. Quinn filed the proclamation Monday.

“I’m very appreciative to the governor and his office for taking the issue very seriously,” McCann said.